Sliding frame for shaker conveyers



SePf- 16, 1952 R. MoULToN ETAL 2,610,728

SLIDING FRAME FOR SHAKER CVONVYERS l F11ed Maron e, 1951 2 srmETs-SHEET 1 2 sHEETs-sHEE R. MOULTON ETAL Sept. 16, 1952 4 SLIDING FRAME FOR SHAKER CONVEYERS Filed March 6 1951 lllllv fa/"Pny fzvenos oerz Jou Zion @ar/ell SOUer @Y Wj Patented Sept. 16, 1952 Stover,.Jenkintown, Pa., assignors to'Goodman Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a, `cor-v poration of Illinois v ApplicationMarchc, 1951, Samira.V 214,175Url l o claims.y (c1.19's:22fo)2 f 1 Thisainvention.-relates-.tofwirnprovements .inA sliding frames.such .as areY employed in shaker conveyor. systeinsior.: supporting.. the conveyor troughs. In..suchfsystemsftheconveyor. troughs usuallyconsist...of.. a series....of..troughlike members. supportedat ...their abutting .or-.overlapping endsbyf. sliding frame 4assemblies ,.each. comprisv ing .-a base fior .stationary sectionand. .a reciprocal sections. l The. .adjacenthendsrofr .two .contiguous troughsare: secured: one.. toanother-and. to the reciprocal sectionfuofi-thel- :sliding frame which l constitutesa movable 'support'.whi'ch reciprocat'es 011: the basegsectionsiastthe .1 conveyor. .is f reciprocate'dvtoeiect movement oI-.coalfV graveL. grain, or other material along themconveyorm line.

In. ymines,..where isuchfshakr. conveyors frequently. are. nemployed. it rbecomes.. necessary;4 at A timestoshift thevpositionofthe.conveyor line or to Yadd lconveyor'. troughsthereto or. to make. other rearrangements .of theconveyor .troughs as the A:facesot theccoallorv other mineral is advanced farther L. fromf .the f .discharge end of i .the .conveyor line. In coal mines in particularwhere ycoal frequently.. is of: yless/.thickness Athan the .average heightk of .the miners, itirequently.. is necessary for the miners to movevabout in stooped positions and sometimes; totcrawl about portions of the. mine :on: hands and fknees. s The manual trans- I portationzof. `conveyor rlines,..and particularly the above-mentioned -f-sliding frames, under. such eonditions.,.is laborious,.-sincefthey are of sturdy steelconstructionaand. necessarily kquite .heavy.

For the. :purpose -`ori-.preventing relative .sliding movement of .the Y. reciprocalfsections with vrefer-,

possible-1 injury.. to workmens hands .while `such ence tosthe' base sections .and thus. preventing frames are being carried or draggedfalongthe minecifoor'. tothe-desired position .ori .positions of use-variouszdevicesvhave been provided.; For

example, i-pinsfihave'f' been' .usecl for .securingv lthe reciprocalfsectionftolthe basesection temporarily forzfcthe 4-purposelv stated I asi-have Vautomatically operatedlatehingi'lmeans'"iwhich are; Areleased wherr the'tru'ghs' are-positioned nthe" reciprocal sections.'V The-use11ofipin`s`- for securingithe sec-` tionstogether-hasf 'been' 'found objectionable in some instancesiwhere lworkmen'iha'veffailed to remove the pins- -toVV free the vreciprocal `section when-the" conveyor has 'been set up readyfor use,

wherebydamag'e to theconveyorresulted. Whiley the: automatically operating latching'. meanshas beenffound tobesatisfactory' generally, ,the cost tiv'elysubstantial and theyare subject to damage by rough handlin'gand use .towhich'th'e frames.

normally are. subjected. Theprincipal object 'ofA the present invention is to4 provide an improved sliding frame having "means of 'simplev but durable construction' for im-v mobilizing Vthemovable'or reciprocal frame sec; y tion with respect .to the base.sectiondurin'ghan-.

filing,` thereby avoiding injury ,to theiworkman or4 workmenmoving` the frame due to thetendency ofthe reciprocal sectionto' slide. to the limit of its travel .in one direction or' the other with' respect to 'the base when the frame is tilted from a horizontal position.. A more. particular object of the invention .is to provide animproved sliding lframeftherbasesection of which is provided .with onebut preferably two simple swing'able handles or hand grips Mwhich,v when.. one or .bothy are grasped by a miner or minersfor lifting or dragging; ,retains the' movable frame Asection .against relative sliding actionbut frees the. reciprocal section when tliehandle or handles are released.

The .improvements thus have substantially they simplicity of thef-pinsabove referred to without l beingsubject to Ythe objection thereto mentioned 'above andA lcan be provided at substantiallyless .f cost than can the automatically operated latch-v.

ing means, and4 in addition they have no spring actuated parts tofget outof .order but function satisfactorily. to prevent-.theinadvertent sliding action of one section `withrespect to theother.

section during handling. l

The: character .of th. invention will...be made clear'by a consideration of the following speci.-

cation and accompanying..drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a .broken'.plan.view of'a sliding frame which is lillustrative of r.the present im.

provements;

Fig. .2 is a side elevation .of the frameV shown in...

Fig; 1;

Fig. ..3 is-an endelevational .view of .the .frame shown inFig.l 1 ;.,v

Fig...4 is.an...end..elevational .View of the frame", on a reduced scale, withQa shaker conveyor .trough indicated .thereon -in dotted .lines and. showing o struts or jacks which may. be. .employedwhere necessaryfor anchringthe rbase section in position;.and f F @5 -rsn-enlarged perspective viewy of. the sliding frame...A

It will.V be. understood as. the description .proceeds .that theinvention. is-equa1ly. applicable to sunple slidingirames.in.which..one.-section operates directly.- on. another. as -well -asfto roller. and

ball .frames in. whichlthesections .are operatedA i respectively'by rollers and balls'. Of these types of sliding frames, ball frames are presently most widely used in mining and will be illustrated and described in connection with the present invention.

In Ithe drawing, the ball frame specifically disclosed comprises a base section indicated generally by the numeral I and a movable or reciprocal section indicated generally by the numeral II. The base section I0, in the particular form of the ball frame illustrated, comprises two transverse tie members I2 provided with teeth or cleats I3 adjacent the ends. The cleats I3 are of advantage where the ball frame is to rest upon the floor of a mine, since the teeth tend to prevent displacement of the base as the conveyor reciprocates. The ties I2 are shown as being attached together in parallel spaced relation by semi-cylindrical track members I4 which constitute portions of the two raceways for anti-friction balls. The tracks may be secured to the ties as by welding the same to angle members I5, which in turn are Welded to the ties.

The reciprocal section II comprises two semicylindrical raceways or tracks IB each arranged for cooperation with one of the tracks I4. Balls are provided between each pair of raceways I4 and I6 as is well known whereby the members IB are freely slidable to and fro through limited distances with reference to the tracks I4. The semi-cylindrical members I4 and I6 are provided with end portions I1 which may be welded in position. The tracks I are held in the properly spaced apart position by means of a transverse plate or web I8 which, in the particular form shown in the drawings, has a central raised portion I9 for stiifening purposes. The ends of the plate I8 are shown as being turned upwardly in the form of flanges 2U and preferably are welded to the respective sections I6. A pair of trough supports 2I are illustrated, each having an aperture extending horizontally therethrough for receiving a. stud or like element by means of which two adjacent ends of contiguous trough sections such as the trough indicated at 22 in Fig. 4, may be secured to the reciprocal section I I. The particular means for securing the ends of the troughs together and to the trough supports 2| is no part of the present invention and is not illustrated. The flanges 2D are shown as being reinforced by plates 23 for providing a more sturdy support for the members 2 I.

In assembling the various parts of a shaker conveyor system, ball frames are located along the line of the conveyor at positions for supporting adjacent ends of contiguous conveyor trough sections. Where necessary, struts or jacks indicated by the numeral 24 in Fig. 4 may be employed for anchoring lthe base sections IIJ against displacement, the jacks having portions that bear against the mine roofs.

Within coal mines it is generally necessary to transport the ball frames manually to the positions at which they are to be used, and as stated above, under some conditions of use in coal mines where the roof of the mine is low, the placement of such ball frames, due to their weight, sometimes constitutes a diiiicult chore. Since the reciprocal sections II are freely movable on the base sections, by reason of the ball construction, throughout the limits of their permitted travel, it is desirable to provide means for immobilizing the reciprocal sections to prevent possible injury to the workmens hands during handling. For securing the two sections together for the purpose of preventing relative movement, we have provided handles or hand grips at opposed. sides of the ball frame which, when both or either one is grasped by workmen in lifting the frame to a carrying position or for dragging it, will grip the movable section and thus immcbilize it relative to the base section during such transportion oi' the frame. The hand grips shown are indicated by numerals 25 and are of U shape with outwardly turned end portions 26 extending through apertures in lugs 21 which are welded to the upper intermediate portions of the track members I4. One of the ends 26 of each hand grip is provided with an extension 28 which is adapted to overlie and frictionally engage an upper portion of the adjacent semi-cylindrical track I6 whenever the handle is raised to substantially the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 by a workman in grasping the handle and raising it. 'I'he grasping and raising of the hand grips 25 by a workman in lifting or dragging a framev immobilizes the movable section with respect to the base section. When the handle or handles are released, they gravitate to the full line position shown in Fig. 3 and thus in effect `automatically release the reciprocal section II.

It has not been found necessary to provide socket recesses or the like in the track members I6 for receiving the extensions 28 of the handles to form a positive locking connection between the frame sections during handling. The described automatic braking provided by the handle or handles 25 for immobilizing of the reciprocal frame section avoids injury to the workmens hands which frequently has resulted in the past where no immobilizing means for the reciprocal section has been provided.

While we have shown simple hand grip members which, when grasped by a workman, effect immobilization of the reciprocal frame member with respect to the base member, it will be obvious that various changes in the particular form illustrated may be resorted to without departure from the invention dened by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a sliding frame for supporting a shaker conveyor trough line, a base section provided with tracks, a reciprocal frame section provided with track members reciprocal to and fro along the tracks of the base section, and means for immobilizing the reciprocal section relative to the base section during manual transportation of the frame comprising a handle pivotally secured to the base section for movement between upper and lower posi-tions and a member operable by the handle into braking contact with a track member of the reciprocal section when the handle is grasped and moved to the upper position in lifting the frame.

2. In a sliding frame for supporting a. shaker conveyor trough line, a base section provided with tracks, a reciprocal frame section provided with track members reciprocal to and fro along the tracks of the base section. and means for immobilizing the reciprocal section relative to the base section during manual transportation of the frame comprising a handle pivotally secured to one of the sections for movement between operative and inoperative positions and provided with an extension swingable into braking contact with the other section when the handle is grasped and moved to the operative position in moving the sliding frame.

3. In a sliding frame for supporting a shaker conveyor trough line, a base section provided with tracks, a reciprocal frame section provided with tracks reciprocal to and fro along the tracks of the base section, means on the base section for pivotally supporting a hand grip, and a hand grip pivotally mounted on said track of the base member and arranged normally to hang: in pendant relation at the side of the base member and provided with a portion movable into braking contact with the adjacent track of the reciprocal section for restraining sliding movement thereof with respect to the base section upon the manual grasping of the hand grip and elevation of the same about the pivots thereof in moving the sliding frame.

4. In a sliding frame for supporting a shaker conveyor trough line, a base section provided with tracks, a reciprocal frame section provided with tracks reciprocal to and fro along the tracks of the base section, spaced apart apertured lugs arranged in pairs and secured to the tracks of the base section, and handles each comprising a U-shaped hand grip portion provided with oppositely extending end portions pivotally mounted in the apertures of a pair of said lugs and a brake section extending from one of said ends of each handle in a direction to engage the reciprocal frame section when the respective handle has been moved about the pivoted end portions thereof in bodily moving the frame.

5. In a sliding frame for supporting a shaker conveyor trough line, a base section provided with a pair of track members, a reciprocal frame section provided with a pair of track members slidable to and fro along the tracks of the base section, a normally pendant handle pivotally attached to one of the tracks of the base section and a member movable by the handle into contact with the adjacent track member of the reeiprocal frame for restraining sliding movement thereof relative to the base section when the handle is moved manually in lifting or dragging the frame. y

6. in a sliding frame for supporting a shaker conveyor trough line, a base section provided with a pair of ball track members, a reciprocal frame section provided with a pair of ball track members located intermediate the tracks of the base section and slidable to and fro along the same, and handles each pivotally secured to one of the track membersl of the base section at opposite longitudinal sides thereof and normally hanging pendant at said sides and each comprising a hand grip adapted to be swung upwardly to a substantially horizontal position when grasped in lifting the ball frame and provided with an extension arranged to engage the adjacent track of the reciprocal frame section for restraining sliding movement of the reciprocal frame section.

ROBERT MOULTON. CARRELL J. STOVER.

No references cited. 

